Home appliance with hanger rack

ABSTRACT

A free standing appliance is provided with a removable hanger rack for towels and the like. The rack includes a plurality of flat support arms joined by a hanger bar. The arms are slidably positioned in the horizontal planular space between the upper deck and a side wall of the appliance. Means are provided to resist accidental removal of the rack from the appliance.

0 United States Patent 11 1 1111 3,756,679 Schoenfelder Sept. 4, 1973 [54] HOME APPLIANCE WITH HANGER RACK 1,073,483 9/1913 Frost 108/93 82,247 9/1868 Putnam 108/29 [76] Nmma schwlfeldefri 2869 644,982 3 1900 Houtman 1013 93 75th 5% west All, 53219 1,618,126 2/1927 Himmelwrightm, 108/93 Oct-1 2,333,516 1]]1943 Brusilowsky [08/29 [2]] Appl. No.: 189,816 Primary ExaminerFrancis K. Zugel Assistant Examiner-Darrell Marquette 52 U.S. c1 312/237, 108/29, 211/1051 Andrus [51] Int. Cl A47b 83/00 58 Field of Search 108/28, 29, 33, 93; [57] ABSTRACT 21 l/l3, 16, 123, 94.5, 105.1, 181; 248/216; A free standing appliance isprovided with a removable 312/37 237 hanger rack for towels and the like. The rack includes a plurality of flat support arms joined by a hanger bar. 56] Ref e s Cit d The arms are slidably positioned in the horizontal plan- UNITED STATES PATENTS ular space between the upper deck and a side wall of the appliance. Means are provided to resist accidental l removal of the rack from the appliance. 1,579,823 4/1926 Lan uth 108/29 1 Claim, 2 Drawing Figures 11' 1' 1 1 1 1i 1 O OO'O 11 I 5 /0 Q 7 Q l I. I I I lull 1 1 Z HOME APPLIANCE WITH HANGER RACK BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a home appliance with hanger rack.

Most homes and apartments nowadays include a kitchen, utility room or other area for the placement of stoves, washers, dryers and other home appliances. In some instances, the appliances are built into counters or the like, while in many instances, the appliances are free standing; that is, they are positioned with one or more side walls exposed. Many kitchens and similar areas are quite small and do not provide a proper builtin place for towel and pan racks and the like.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to providing a free standing appliance with a removable hanger rack for towels, etc. and which is uniquely attached to the appliance. More specifically, in the present embodiment, the rack includes a plurality of flat support arms joined by a hanger bar. The arms are slidably positioned in the horizontal planular space between the upper deck and a side wall of the appliance. Means are provided to resist accidental removal of the rack from the applaince.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The accompanying drawing illustrates the best mode presently contemplated by the inventor for carrying out the invention.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a home appliance constructed in accordance with the invention; and

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As shown in the drawing, the invention is embodied in a household appliance such as a kitchen stove 1 which is free standing; i.e. with one or more exposed sides. Stove 1 includes'a top deck 2, a front wall 3 and supporting side walls 4. i g

The construction is such that deck 2is removably supported on the base. For this purpose, the deck is provided with an edge portion 5 and an inwardly extending lower flange 6 which extends substantially continuously at least along the stove sides. The upper edge of each side wall 4 is provided with an inwardly extending flange 7 which is generally coextensive with flange 6. Flanges 6 and 7 are secured to each other in any suitable way, as by screws (not shown), so that they are in parallelism and provide a planular space 8 therebetween.

In accordance with the invention, a hanger rack 9 is removably attached to stove 1. In the present embodiment, rack 9 comprises a pair of suitably spaced elongated relatively rigid support arms 10 joined by a hanger bar 11 of any desired length. Arms 10 are flat and of a thickness approximately 95 the thickness of space 8. It has been found that suitable arms can be formed from stainless steel of about 1/l6th inch thickness. Bar 1 1 may be made of any suitable material, such as an aluminum rod of about 35 inch diameter.

The outer ends of arms 10 are curved to form circular sockets 12 into which the ends of bar 11 are press fit.

Rack 9 is attached to stove l by manually sliding arms 10 into space 8, so that the arms extend beyond flanges 6 and 7.

In some instances, outward forces may tend to cause arms 10 to slide out of space 8. Tis might occur, for example, if a towel 13 is pulled from the rack; or if the rack is used with an appliance such as a washing machine, vibrations could move the rack outwardly. The invention also includes means on the rack and cooperating with flanges 6 and 7 to resist and substantially limit outward rack movement. As shown, the inner end portion 14 of at least one arm 10 is inclined at a slight angle to the arm body. Each portion 14 is normally disposed inwardly of flanges 6 and 7. Any outward forces wil cause each inclined portion 14 to engage an abutment formed by the respective flange edge 15, 16, depending upon whether the portion is upturned or downturned.

It has been found that flanges 6 and 7 provide a slight resistance to sliding insertion of arms 10, especially in view of inclined ends 14. However, the flanges are sufficiently flexible so that they will yield to a moderate amount of pressure.

When rack 9 is in use, bar 11 may be slidably positioned at any suitable distance from side wall 4, limited only by the length of arms 10 and the position of inclined ends 14. When the rack is not in use, it may be pushed inwardly until bar 11 is closely adjacent side wall 4, as shown in dashed lines in FIG. 2. The adjustment is infinite between end limits.

It has been found that arms 10 do not interfere with any appliance mechanism disposed under deck 2.

Various modes of carrying out the invention are contemplated as being within the scope of the following claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which is regarded as the invention.

I claim:

1. A home appliance comprising:

a. a base having a side wall terminating in an upper edge with a first flange extending inwardly therefrom,

b. a deck mounted on said base with said deck having an edge portion and a second flange extending inwardly therefrom,

c. saidfirst and second flanges being generally coextensive and in parallelism and disposed to form a planular space therebetween,

d. a hanger rack for towels, pans mounted to said appliance, e. said' rack having support means slidably disposed and held within said space so that the rack may be selectively spaced from said sidewall or disposed closely adjacent thereto, said rack comprising:

1. a plurality of spaced flat arms forming said support means,

2. the outer ends of said arms being curved to form circular sockets,

3. and a hanger bar secured within said sockets, f. abutment means formed by the inner edges of said first and second flanges,

g. and an end portion on at least one arm which is inclined at an angle to the arm body,

h. said inclined end portion normally being disposed inwardly of said flanges and being subject to engagement with at least one of said inner edges to limit outward movement of the rack,

i. said first and second co-extensive parallel flanges being yieldable so that said arm and inclined end portion are 'slideably insertable into saidspace.

II II I. I F

and the like 

1. A home appliance comprising: a. a base having a side wall terminating in an upper edge with a first flange extending inwardly therefrom, b. a deck mounted on said base with said deck having an edge portion and a second flange extending inwardly therefrom, c. said first and second flanges being generally co-extensive and in parallelism and disposed to form a planular space therebetween, d. a hanger rack for towels, pans and the like mounted to said appliance, e. said rack having support means slidably disposed and held within said space so that the rack may be selectively spaced from said side wall or disposed closely adjacent thereto, said rack comprising:
 1. a plurality of spaced flat arms forming said support means,
 2. the outer ends of said arms being curved to form circular sockets,
 3. and a hanger bar secured within said sockets, f. abutment means formed by the inner edges of said first and second flanges, g. and an end portion on at least one arm which is inclined at an angle to the arm body, h. said inclined end portion normally being disposed inwardly of said flanges and being subject to engagement with at least one of said inner edges to limit outward movement of the rack, i. said first and second co-extensive parallel flanges being yieldable so that said arm and inclined end portion are slideably insertable into said space.
 2. the outer ends of said arms being curved to form circular sockets,
 3. and a hanger bar secured within said sockets, f. abutment means formed by the inner edges of said first and second flanges, g. and an end portion on at least one arm which is inclined at an angle to the arm body, h. said inclined end portion normally being disposed inwardly of said flanges and being subject to engagement with at least one of said inner edges to limit outward movement of the rack, i. said first and second co-extensive parallel flanges being yieldable so that said arm and inclined end portion are slideably insertable into said space. 